Sensors for electrical connectors

ABSTRACT

In some implementations, a gasket, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes a housing having a plurality of openings operative to receive a plurality of prongs of a power connector for an appliance. At least one sensor is operative to sense at least one characteristic of an environment. A transmitter is operative to transmit one or more signals derived from the at least one sensed characteristic, where the transmitted signals are capable of being received by a receiving device. A power circuit is operative to provide power from the electric current to the at least one sensor and the transmitter.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a U.S. National Stage of International ApplicationNo. PCT/US2013/26502, filed Feb. 15, 2013, which claims the benefit ofU.S. Ser. No. 61/599,113, filed Feb. 15, 2012 and of U.S. Ser. No.13/767,659, filed Feb. 14, 2013, all of which are incorporated byreference.

FIELD OF INVENTION

This invention relates generally to electronic sensors and moreparticularly to wireless electronic sensing systems.

BACKGROUND OF INVENTION

Sensing devices are used in many different applications for sensing awide variety of different parameters or characteristics. Sensedcharacteristics can be used to monitor the operation of mechanical,electrical, chemical, and other phenomenon. For example, sensing devicescan be capable of sensing such characteristics as temperature, pressure,electric and magnetic fields, gas and vapor concentration, odor, power,audio, and video. Some sensing devices are capable of transmittingsignals indicative of sensed characteristics to other devices forprocessing and monitoring.

In some applications, multiple sensing devices can be used in a sensornetwork. For example, some sensor networks include sensors capable ofsimultaneously detecting various characteristics at localized pointsover a wide area. When taken in aggregate, the information provided bythese various sensing devices can be processed and reduced to anactionable result based on the multiple sensed locations. In someimplementations, each sensor device within the network can includecomponents to read data from a transduction detector, perform some localprocessing, and/or send data to a centralized server. At the server,data from various sensor types and sensor locations can be used toproduce an actionable result

Existing sensing devices tend to be large, intrusive and cumbersome. Forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 8,192,929 discloses a “smart wall socket” thathas outlets into which appliances can be plugged, and the outlet is inturn plugged into a standard wall socket. But this device is too largeand too expensive to place in an area where space comes at a premium,nor is suitable for placement in large numbers. In another example, U.S.Patent Publication 2008/0215609 discloses sensors for collecting dataand interpreting aggregate data from a network of various sensor types.However, such sensors are also of a relatively large size and often notpractical to place in large numbers. In living quarters or office space,for example, numerous such large sensors would be conspicuous andimpractical. In other environments, space utility is required to beoptimized, as for example in a data center.

In U.S. Pat. No. 5,589,764, a power meter is described that can beplugged into an electrical wall socket, which provides its own socketinto which an electrical appliance is inserted. A measured current drawnby the appliance that is plugged into the unit is converted to energymetrics and are displayed on a display screen on the power meter.Another implementation is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 8,041,369, wherethe measured data is transmitted wirelessly to a centralized server.These approaches make measurements by passing the current through themeter in series with the appliance. It is for this reason that thesetypes of power meters are of a form that plugs into an outlet socket,and provide another separate outlet socket into which the appliance isplugged. However, this approach results in a power meter that is verybulky and is impractical to associate with many appliances, therebyresulting in incomplete information in environments having severalappliances. Further, the substantial cost of materials to produce suchpower meters can be a major concern.

These and other limitations of the prior art will become apparent tothose of skill in the art upon a reading of the following descriptionsand a study of the several figures of the drawing.

SUMMARY OF INVENTION

In some implementations, a gasket, set forth by way of example and notlimitation, includes a housing having a plurality of openings operativeto receive a plurality of prongs of a power connector for an appliance.At least one sensor is operative to sense at least one characteristic ofan environment. A transmitter is operative to transmit one or moresignals derived from the at least one sensed characteristic, where thetransmitted signals are capable of being received by a receiving device.A power circuit is operative to provide power from the electric currentto the at least one sensor and the transmitter.

In various example implementations of the gasket, the sensor can beoperative to sense at least one characteristic of an electric currentflowing through at least one of the prongs. A converter circuit can beused convert one or more sensed analog voltages to the one or moresignals that can be provided as digital data signals. The power circuitcan be coupled to at least one conductive terminal that conductivelycontacts at least one of the prongs and creates an electrical connectionbetween the terminal and prong, such that the terminal provides at leasta portion of the electric current to the power circuit. In someimplementations, the power circuit can be capacitively coupled to atleast one of the prongs such that at least a portion of the electriccurrent is provided to the power circuit. The gasket can include atleast one ring of material provided around one or more of the openings,where the ring has a magnetic permeability operative to concentrate amagnetic field generated by electric current flowing through the atleast one prong. For example, the sensor can be a Hall effect sensor,where the sensor can measure an intensity of the generated magneticfield and convert the measured intensity to the electrical signalrepresentative of the intensity. In some implementations, the gaskethousing can be separate from and physically coupled to an applianceconnector housing, and the sensor and the power circuit can beintegrated on a single flex board provided between a top cover and abottom cover of the gasket housing, where the gasket can further includea ferrite ring that is coupled to the flex board.

The gasket can further include a processor coupled to the sensor circuitand transmitter. A memory can be included that stores instructionsgoverning operation of the gasket, and a standardized interfaceconnector coupled to the memory can be operative to be connected to anelectronic device that can provide configuration and programming of theinstructions. The transmitter can transmit the one or more signals viawireless communication. The gasket can be coupled to memory operative tostore the signals over time as data, and the transmitter can transmitthe data in response to a communication channel being available. In someimplementations, the housing can include the power circuitry and atleast one sensor can be included in a removable sensor module physicallydistinct from the housing, where the sensor module can be connected tothe housing by one or more housing connectors. For example, theconnectors of the housing can be provided for a standardized interfaceand the sensor module can include a connector for that standardizedinterface. In some implementations, a removable module distinct from thehousing can include sensors and/or memory for storing sensor data and/orstoring programming instructions for the gasket. A plurality of sensorsof a plurality of different types can be used, each type for sensing adifferent environmental characteristic, and digital sensors and/oranalog sensors can be used In some implementations, one or more of thesensors can be positioned remotely from the housing and connected to thetransmitter by a wire. Some implementations can include a locationcircuit operative to receive location signals and provide locationinformation indicative of a physical location of the gasket, thelocation information to be output by the transmitter.

The one or more signals can include sensor data signals representativeof power consumption of the appliance. The gasket can be engaged withthe power connector of the appliance while the power connector isconnected to an electrical outlet. The electric current can be ACcurrent from an electrical outlet, and the power circuit can convert theAC current to DC current for powering the at least one sensor and thetransmitter. The power circuit can include a surge protection circuitthat protects at least the power circuit from power surges and spikes inthe electrical current, and which can include a power rectifier.

A method for sensing using a gasket, set forth by way of example and notlimitation, includes providing a housing including a plurality ofopenings operative to receive a plurality of prongs of a power connectorof an appliance. The method includes sensing at least one characteristicof an environment using at least one sensor coupled to the housing. Oneor more signals are transmitted using a transmitter included in thehousing, where the one or more signals are derived from the at least onesensed characteristic, and the transmitted signals are received by areceiving device. Power from the electric current is converted to a formusable by the at least one sensor and the transmitter using powercircuitry included in the housing.

In various example implementations of the method, the sensing caninclude sensing at least one characteristic of electric current flowingthrough at least one of the prongs. The one or more transmitted signalscan include information indicative of a power consumption of theappliance. The sensing can include measuring an intensity of a magneticfield generated by electric current passing through the at least oneprong. At least one ring of material can be provided around the at leastone opening to concentrate the magnetic field. The one or moretransmitted signals can include information indicative of a powerconsumption of the appliance. The signals can be transmittedperiodically to a receiving device that includes a remote server. Thesensing gasket can be engaged with the prongs of the power connector ofthe appliance while the power connector is connected to an electricaloutlet. Converting power can include generating DC power from theelectric current, where the DC power is provided to drive at least thesensor and the transmitter.

In some implementations, a sensing apparatus for an appliance connector,set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes at least onecircuit board including one or more openings operative to receive acorresponding number of prongs of the appliance connector. At least onesensor is coupled to the circuit board and is operative to sense atleast one characteristic of an environment. A transmitter is coupled tothe circuit board and is operative to transmit one or more signalsderived from the at least one sensed characteristic, where thetransmitted signals are capable of being received by a receiving device.A power circuit is coupled to the circuit board and is operative toprovide power to the at least one sensor and to the transmitter, wherethe power circuit can receive electric current from at least one of theprongs of the appliance connector to drive the transmitter and thesensor.

In various example implementations of the sensing apparatus, theapparatus can include a gasket housing that is separate from andphysically engaged with a housing of the appliance connector. The gaskethousing can house the transmitter and the power circuit, and the gaskethousing can include a plurality of openings operative to receive aplurality of prongs of the appliance connector. The gasket housing canbe engaged with the prongs while the appliance connector is connected toan electrical outlet, and the power circuit can generate DC power fromthe electric current flowing through the at least one prong. The DCpower can be provided to drive at least the sensor and the transmitter.In other implementations, the sensing apparatus can include at least onecircuit board provided within a housing of the appliance connector,where the transmitter and power circuit are coupled to the circuit boardand are housed within the housing of the appliance connector.

In some implementations, the sensor can sense at least onecharacteristic of the electric current flowing through the prong, andthe transmitted signals can include information indicative of a powerconsumption of the appliance. For example, the sensor can measure anintensity of a magnetic field generated by the electric current passingthrough the at least one prong of the appliance connector. The powercircuit can be coupled to the at least one prong by a conductive contactor by a capacitive coupling. The transmitted signals can includeinformation indicative of a power consumption of the appliance. Thesignals can be transmitted periodically to the receiving device that caninclude a remote server.

One or more processors can be coupled to the sensor and transmitter. Thetransmitter can transmit the signals via wireless communication. In someimplementations, a housing can house the power circuitry, and the sensorcan be included in a removable sensor module physically distinct fromthe housing, where the sensor module can be connected to the housing byone or more connectors on the housing. In some implementations, ahousing houses the power circuitry, the sensor, and the transmitter,where sensor and the power circuit are integrated on the circuit boardthat is a single flex board provided between a top cover and a bottomcover of the housing, and at least one ferrite ring is coupled to theflex board.

A system, set forth by way of example and not limitation, includes asensing apparatus coupled to an appliance connector of an appliance,where the appliance connector is coupled to a power supply. The sensingapparatus includes at least one circuit board including one or moreopenings operative to receive a corresponding number of prongs of theappliance connector. At least one sensor is coupled to the circuit boardand is operative to sense at least one characteristic of an environment.A transmitter is coupled to the circuit board and is operative totransmit one or more signals derived from the at least one sensedcharacteristic. A power circuit is coupled to the circuit board and isoperative to provide power to the at least one sensor and to thetransmitter, where the power circuit can receive electric current fromat least one of the prongs of the appliance connector to drive thetransmitter and the sensor. The system includes a receiving devicelocated remotely from the sensing apparatus and operative to receive thesignals from the transmitter. The receiving device provides the signalsfor use as data describing the at least one sensed environmentalcharacteristic.

These and other combinations and advantages and other features disclosedherein will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a readingof the following descriptions and a study of the several figures of thedrawing.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

Several examples will now be described with reference to the drawings,wherein like components are provided with like reference numerals. Theexamples are intended for the purpose of illustration and notlimitation. The drawings include the following figures:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example sensing system which can be usedin some implementations of one or more features described herein;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an example implementationincluding one or more of the sensing gasket features described herein;

FIG. 3 is a top view of an example gasket circuit board which can beused in some implementations;

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a component system of a sensinggasket according to some implementations;

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of a sensing gasket that canbe used in some implementations;

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an example implementation of agasket;

FIG. 7 is a side view of one example implementation of a gasket;

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an example implementation of a sensormodule which can be used with some implementations of a gasket;

FIG. 9 is a side view of an example implementation of a gasket andsensor module allowing connection of a sensor module to a gasketplatform;

FIG. 10 is a top view of an example implementation of a gasket circuitboard in which a magnetic sensor is used;

FIG. 11 illustrates an example implementation of a coupling betweenprongs and gasket circuitry using a metal strip or conductive brushes;

FIG. 12 illustrates an example implementation of a coupling betweenprongs and gasket circuitry using conductive foam;

FIG. 13 illustrates an example implementation of a coupling betweenprongs and gasket circuitry using a capacitive coupling;

FIG. 14 illustrates another example implementation of a capacitivecoupling between gasket circuitry and connector prongs;

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example power supplycircuit suitable for some implementations of the sensing gasket;

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic illustration of the operation of the rectifiercircuit example of FIG. 15;

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an example of circuitry which can be usedin conjunction with one or more sensors;

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of an example surge protection circuitrywhich can be used in some implementations of the sensing gasket;

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method of processingdigital sensor values by gasket circuitry;

FIG. 20 is an perspective exploded view of an example implementationshowing a physical construction of a gasket;

FIG. 21 is a top view of an example implementation of the flex circuitboard; and

FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation of agasket in which multiple sensors are connected to the gasket.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

One or more implementations described herein pertain to sensingcharacteristics related to a connector of an appliance. In someimplementations, a sensing apparatus includes a circuit board and/orhousing that includes one or more openings through which prongs of anappliance connector can be inserted. One or more sensors incommunication with the sensing apparatus can sense environmentalcharacteristics, such as an electric current flowing through at leastone of the prongs of the appliance connected. A transmitter of thesensing apparatus can transmit signals based on the sensedcharacteristics. A power circuit of the sensing apparatus can providepower from the electric current to sensing apparatus components such asthe sensors, sensor circuit, and transmitter.

In some example implementations, the sensing apparatus can be includedin a gasket that is slipped on the prongs of a power connector such asan AC plug of an appliance, which in turn is connected to a powersupply, such as an electrical outlet, For example, the gasket can beintegrated with various types of sensor transducers to measure a widevariety of environmental characteristics, including characteristicsrelated to the power connector. In some implementations, the gasket canmeasure the current drawn through a prong in the plug using magneticsensing such as Hall sensing, and can convert that measurement todigital format. For example, each of multiple gaskets can continuouslycalculate the energy consumed by the appliance via the associated powerconnector over a particular or specified period of time, and cantransmit the measured sensed consumption as data to a centralizeddevice. In some implementations, the centralized device can be a serveror other electronic device which can process and interpret aggregateddata received from multiple gaskets, each gasket monitoring a differentappliance.

A gasket or other sensing apparatus can accommodate a variety ofdifferent sensor transduction devices. For example, some gasketimplementations can include a platform component including circuitryused to perform functions other than the sensing function, such as apower supply, controller, transmitter, and antenna. Various sensingdevices can be removably connected to the platform component to providevarious types of sensor functionality.

In some implementations, a gasket can function as a power meter that issmall, unobtrusive, and low cost to produce. The gasket can also senseother characteristics of the appliance and/or environment in which thegasket is located. In some implementations, the gasket can measure powerconsumption by measuring the current that is drawn through the appliancewithout inserting a measuring device in series with appliance in thepath of the current. Due to small size and low cost, a gasket can beused in conjunction with each of a large number of appliances to provideaggregate data describing the sensed conditions of the appliances. On aserver level, this data can be organized and analyzed to produceincreased value. One or more features of the sensor gasket can be usefulwhen used to measure power consumption of a connected appliance. Thiscan be a significant step in movement toward green energy and powerconservation due to the importance of individual consumer awareness ofhow the consumers are using energy. For example, availability of senseddata on a level of individual appliances allows consumers to easilydetermine how to reduce their power consumption.

As used herein, an “appliance” or the like refers to any electric orelectronic device having a connector which can be engaged by the sensorgasket to monitor environmental characteristics related to the connectorand/or environment. Non-limiting examples of appliances include desktopcomputers, laptop or netbook computers, tablet computers, personaldigital assistants (PDAs), media players, cellular telephones, printers,stereos or audio output devices, televisions, telephones, homeappliances and devices (refrigerator, toaster, dishwasher, coffee maker,clothes washer and/or dryer, etc.), air conditioners, heaters, fans, orany other device. The appliance may include a connector having one ormore “prongs,” which can be any prongs, pins, extensions, conductors, orother conductive male connector protrusions of an appliance connectorthrough which current can flow.

FIG. 1 is a block diagram of an example sensing system 10 which can beused in some implementations of one or more features described herein.In this example, the sensing system 10 includes one or more applianceconnectors 12 including one or more sensing features described herein,where the connectors 12 can each be connected to a corresponding matingconnector 14. A data collector 16 can be used in some implementations toreceive data transmitted by the appliance connectors 12 which is relatedto environmental characteristics sensed by sensors in association withthe connectors. In some implementations of system 10, one or more datacollectors 16 can be used locally to the appliance connectors 12 toreceive data sent by the connectors 12, and the data collectors 16 cansend received data to a centralized server 18 which processes dataaggregated from multiple appliance connectors 12.

In some implementations, appliance connector 12 can be or include a plughead 19, such as a power plug head connected to a power cord 13 and usedto provide power to an appliance connected to the plug head via the cord13. For example, such a plug head 19 can be mated with a supplyconnector 14 providing power. In some implementations, the applianceconnector 12 can be a male connector and the supply connector 14 can bea female connector such as a socket in an electrical outlet or otherreceptacle, e.g., a wall outlet commonly provided on interior walls ofbuildings, or a socket provided on a power extension cord or powerstrip. In other implementations, the appliance connector 12 can be afemale connector and the supply connector 14 can be a male connector.Other implementations can use other types of appliance connectorsinstead of a plug head 19, such as any of various connector types forproviding an electrical connection. Furthermore, the appliance connectorcan be a connector that provides power to the appliance as well ascommunicating other signals, such as data (commands, parameters, etc.).

Sensing functionality described herein is provided by a sensingapparatus associated with an appliance connector 12. In someimplementations, one or more of the sensing features described hereinare provided by a sensing apparatus at least partially housed in agasket 20 that has a separate housing from the housing of an applianceconnector 12 and physically couples to, attaches to, or otherwiseengages with the housing of the appliance connector 12. In one example,the gasket 20 includes one or more openings and can be slipped overprongs 22, 24, and 26 on plug head 19, where the plug head 19 is in turnplugged into the corresponding supply connector 14 such as socket 40with corresponding openings 32, 34 and 36, thereby connecting circuitrywithin gasket 20 to hot, neutral, and ground connections of the outlet14, respectively. The ground connection corresponding to prong 26 andsocket opening 36 can optionally be included for some implementations.It is noted that outlets 14 standard to the USA are shown in FIG. 1,though any country's or other type of power outlet or socket standardcan be used. In some example implementations, the plug head 19 withgasket 20 can be plugged into a top socket for outlet 40, into a bottomsocket as shown in outlet 42 with plug-head/gasket 44, or in bothsockets as shown in outlet 46 with plug-head/gaskets 48 and 50. In someimplementations, the plug head 19 and gasket 20 can be plugged into apower strip, electrical power extension cord, power adapter, or otherpower receptacle or adapter.

The gasket 20 can include functionality for sensing one or moreenvironmental characteristics of an environment. In certain examples,the environment surrounds a sensor and in other examples the sensor maysurround the environment or be proximate to an environment. In someexamples, a sensed environmental characteristic can be a sensedcharacteristic of electric current drawn through the appliance connector12. Other characteristics can alternatively or additionally be sensed,such as temperature of the connector or air near the gasket, airpressure in the environment, and/or other characteristics, as describedbelow.

In other implementations, the gasket 20 can be attached to an applianceconnector 12 in other ways. For example, the gasket may be attached toone or more sides of a housing of the appliance connector 12 and havecontacts routed to the connector prongs.

In some implementations, the sensing apparatus and sensing functionalitycan be integrated into the appliance connector 12. For example, asensing apparatus can be implemented by components housed within thehousing of the appliance connector 12 and there need not be a separategasket engaged with the appliance connector 12. For example, any or allgasket components described herein, such as one or more circuit boards,one or more sensors, ring of ferrite material, circuitry, processors,memory, and other components can be integrated into the housing of theappliance connector 12. In some examples, one or more gasket componentscan be integrated into the connector housing near the prong-end of thehousing, similarly as if a gasket had been engaged with the prongs atthat end of the housing. For example, a sensor and sensor ring can bepositioned relative to prongs of the connector similarly as describedherein for gasket implementations. In some implementations, the gasketcomponents can be positioned anywhere within the housing of connector12.

The gasket 20 can in some implementations include components to enablecommunication to provide information related to the environmentalcharacteristics sensed by the gasket 20. This information can betransmitted to other systems or devices via wireless communication. Forexample, wireless circuitry can be included in or connected to gasket 20to transmit data that is collected by the gasket to centralized datacollector 16 and/or server 18. In other implementations, gasket 20 cantransmit data via wired communication, such as via one or more cables,traces, etc.

The data collector 16 can be any device that receives the data sent byone or more gaskets 20 provided on associated connectors 12. Datacollector 16 can collect aggregate data from multiple such gaskets 20.For example, data collector 16 can be a device capable of processing thereceived data to provide actionable information, such as a computerserver or other electronic device. In some implementations, datacollector 16 can be a device that collects gasket sensor data locallyand then re-transmits the data via a communication protocol to anon-local centralized server 18. For example, the data collector canprovide received signals to a server 18 for use as data describing oneor more sensed environmental characteristics. In some examples, datacollector 16 can be a small computer or other device which can providelocal processing and then transmit the results of that local processingto a centralized server 18 via wireless or wired communication. Forexample, the collector can be a plug computer 52 that plugs directlyinto an outlet receptacle 54 similarly to the appliance connector 12. Inone example, receptacle 54 can be a different receptacle in a locationnear enough to one or more gaskets 20 to enable communications withthose gaskets 20. Plug computer 52 can provide standard computingfeatures in a small space, and can for example include a CPU or otherprocessor, memory (e.g., flash memory and/or dynamic memory), networkcapability, etc. In some examples, the plug computer 52 can operate on areduced or compact operating system. One example of a commerciallyavailable plug computer is the SheevaPlug™ computer from MarvellSemiconductor, Inc. Other implementations can provide a variety of othertypes of collector 16 devices. Some implementations can provide a datacollector 16 in or more of the gaskets 20.

Centralized server 18 can be included in system 10 in someimplementations. Server 18 can be an electronic device such as acomputer server, desktop computer, portable computer or device, or otherdevice. Server 18 can be remote from the connector 12, gasket 20, anddata collector(s) 16. The server 18 can receive data signals from one ormore data collectors 16 at various locations which have aggregated datafrom one or more sensing gaskets 20 at various other locations local toeach data collector 16. For example, the data collector 16 can send thedata signals via a standard protocol, wirelessly and/or through wiredchannels, using the Internet or private network, to be received by thecentralized server 18. Server 18 can provide the signals for use byitself or other devices as data describing one or more sensedenvironmental characteristics. For example, server 18 can process thereceived data signals to determine the status of the monitoredenvironmental conditions, such as current consumption of the appliancesconnected to the appliance connectors 12. The server 18 may also be ableto determine whether an actionable result exists based on the processeddata, and can take particular actions in some implementations. Suchaction can be, for example, providing information or alerts to users orother devices, and/or providing commands or signals back to the datacollectors 16 and/or gaskets 20 to start, modify, and/or stop particularfunctions implemented by the data collectors and/or gaskets.

A variety of wireless communication protocols are suitable for the localwireless communication between the gaskets 20 and the data collector 16.In implementations having a power plug 12 and receptacle 14 as shown inFIG. 1, power can be drawn from the receptacle and so conservation ofpower may not be a constraint. Some implementations provide a small andthin gasket 20 and so the communication protocol can support atransceiver size and antenna requirements that can be accommodated inthe space available. In some examples, a network architecture can beused that reduces layering, exposes hardware functions directly toapplications and middleware, and/or includes a single unifying layer ofabstractions that includes interpreted scripts and simple programprocesses. Some implementations can use a network protocol using radiocommunication, where a varied analog and digital interface is handled bydifferent messages within the protocol. In some examples, thecommunication can be based on an existing communication protocol such asthe 802.15.4 communication standard. Some implementations can, forexample, use a ZigBee® networking protocol, which is built on top of the802.15.4 standard and includes an application-specific communicationsignaling protocol between devices (also referred to as meshnetworking). Other protocols with similar functionality canalternatively be used. This type of capability can enable each gasket 20to transmit information to another gasket in the vicinity, which in turntransmits the information to another gasket, ultimately relaying thedata to the data collector 16 and/or server 18. Such implementationscan, for example, increase the maximum distance between the furthestgasket and the collector, provided that there are gaskets locatedbetween the endpoints that relay the information.

Some implementations can use a network protocol offering features suchas self-configuration and security. For example, these features can beincorporated into the networking protocol. Self-configuration canautomatically establish an identity of a gasket 20 within the network,e.g., through the means of an Internet protocol (IP) address, and/orestablish communication to other gaskets 20 in the vicinity of thegasket that can accept data for relaying. Security features can includeidentifying a specific data collector 16 to which the gasket 20 shouldbe sending data. This can avoid a possibility of a gasket sending datato an incorrect or unrelated data collector 16 within the range of thegasket 20, such as a different user's data collector 16. Anothersecurity feature can include encryption of the data during transmissionto avoid unauthorized interception.

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic illustration of an example implementation 200including one or more of the sensing features described herein. In thisexample, power can be distributed to an appliance that is plugged intoan electrical outlet using an appliance connector with a gasket slippedover the prongs of the appliance connector. With reference to FIG. 2, anappliance 202 is electrically connected to a power supply connector suchas an electrical outlet 204 by a hot wire 206 and a neutral wire 208.Gasket circuitry 210 is within a gasket engaged with the applianceconnector and is also coupled to the hot wire 206 and the neutral wire208.

Power is provided to appliance 202 through hot wire 206 connected to hotoutlet opening 212, and neutral wire 208 is connected to neutral outletopening 214. Power is provided to the gasket circuitry 210 by drawingpower from hot wire 206 and neutral wire 208, such that the gasketcircuitry is connected electrically in parallel to the appliance 202. Inthis circuit configuration, the current drawn by appliance 202 flowsthrough a segment 216 of hot wire 206 between the appliance 202 and thehot connection of the gasket circuitry 210. Segment 218 carries thecumulative current drawn by appliance 202 and gasket circuit 210.

The current drawn by gasket circuitry 210 is independent of the currentdrawn by appliance 202. In some implementations, the hot wire 206 passesthrough an opening in the gasket housing the gasket circuitry 210. Thecurrent drawn by the appliance 202 can be measured by the gasket bydetermining the current passing through hot wire 206. In someimplementations, this current can be measured by measuring anelectromagnetic field radiated by hot wire 206, as described below.

FIG. 3 is a top view of an example circuit board 300 which can be usedin some implementations of a sensing apparatus, including a sensinggasket as described herein. In this example, the circuit board 300utilizes a round circuit board or substrate 302 and in someimplementations can include multiple openings to allow passagetherethrough by a corresponding number of prongs of an applianceconnector such that the prongs can be inserted into or otherwiseconnected to a power supply connector. For example, three openings 301,302, and 303 can be used, where three prongs of a power connector suchas an AC plug can be inserted through these openings to connect to hot,neutral, and ground connections of an electrical socket, respectively.Other implementations can use a different number, configuration, and/orshapes of openings 301-303 depending on the configuration of connectorprongs and socket openings.

In some implementations, a portion of the area of circuit board 300 canhold platform circuitry 306, and another portion can hold sensorcircuitry 308. Both the platform circuitry 306 and the sensor circuitry308 can be powered by coupling to a hot terminal 312 and neutralterminal 314 which receive current from particular prongs of theappliance connector inserted through the openings. Variousimplementations for making this coupling and receiving this power aredescribed below with respect to FIGS. 11-14. Platform circuitry 306 canbe connected to the sensor circuitry 308 via a connection 315. Thesensor circuitry 308 can include one or more sensors 310, such assensors integrated on the circuit board 300 in some implementations.Various implementations can also or alternatively provide one or moresensors 310 separately from and connected to the circuit board 300.

In the implementation shown in FIG. 3, a sensor 310 is included in thesensor circuitry 308 to sense one or more environmental characteristics.In some examples described herein, the sensor can sense one or morecharacteristics of current flowing through the hot conductor of theappliance prong 303. For example, a magnetic field caused by the currentcan be sensed to derive the magnitude of current flowing through theconnector over time. In some implementations, for example, the sensinggasket can sense other environmental characteristics instead of or inaddition to sensing current. In various implementations, one or moresensors can sense one or more of a variety of different environmentcharacteristics, including temperature, pressure, electric and magneticfields, vibration, movement, gas and vapor concentration, odor, power,audio sounds, visual images or colors or patterns, etc.

The sensor circuitry 308 and/or platform circuitry 306 can obtain one ormore signals derived from the sensed characteristic sensed by the sensor310 and provide one or more signals suitable to be transmitted from thegasket. In some implementations, the platform circuitry 306 can includewireless transceiver circuitry 316 (functionally shown in FIG. 3) whichis connected via a connection 318 to an antenna 320 to transmit thesensor-derived signals wirelessly. In some implementations, the antennacan also receive wireless signals, such as from data collector 16 and/orserver 18. In some examples, the antenna 320 can be configured to wraparound the periphery of the gasket circuit board 300 near the edge ofthe board, as shown. In other implementations, antenna 320 can be astraight or linearly-shaped conductor or be of a different shape orconfiguration, some examples of which are shown in FIG. 21. In yet otherimplementations, the functionality of the antenna 320 can be provided byan antenna integrated circuit chip. In some examples, antenna chipsprovided by Fractus S.A. or Johanson Technology, Inc. can be suitablefor some implementations.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustrating a component system 400 of asensing apparatus such as a sensing gasket according to someimplementations. For example, in some implementations the components ofthe component system 400 can include circuitry such as platformcircuitry 306 and/or sensor circuitry 308 as shown in FIG. 3. In otherembodiments, the circuitry can be compartmentalized or divided in otherways or based on other functionality. In various implementations, one ormore digital sensors 404 and/or one or more analog sensors 406 can beused to sense environmental conditions relative to the sensors orgasket. For example, in some implementations a single digital or analogsensor can be used, while in other implementations multiple digitaland/or analog sensors can be used.

The system 400 can include a standard interface 408 to connect thesensors 404 and/or 406. The interface 408 supports electricalconnections from digital sensors 404 to a digital data bus 410 and aclock bus 412. The digital data bus 410 can receive sensor datadescribing one or more sensed environmental condition as sensed by thedigital sensors 404. A clock signal on clock bus 412 can be generated byclock generator circuitry 414 which can generate the signal based oninput from a real-time clock 416. The clock signal can be used by thedigital sensors 404 to time the sensing of environmental conditions,among other timing functions used by the circuitry.

A controller 420 can be connected to the digital data bus 410, clock bus412, real time clock 416 and a memory 422. For example, the controller420 can be any suitable processor, such as one or more microprocessors,microcontrollers, application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs),logic gates, etc. Received sensor data can be processed by thecontroller 420 and resulting processed data placed on a data out bus424. This output data can be sent to a data collector, server, or otherdevice. For example, in some implementations the data can be outputwirelessly by transceiver 426, which can be coupled to an antenna 428.For example, data can be transmitted periodically by the transceiver 426based on environmental characteristics continually being sensed by thesensors 404 and/or 406. The transceiver 426 can also be capable ofreceiving data wirelessly from other devices such as data collector 16and/or server 18. For example, the received data can include programinstructions, commands, parameters, and/or data, which can be placed onthe data input bus 430 and provided to controller 420. Memory 422 can beutilized to store buffered incoming sensor data, program instructionsfor controller 420, parameters, or other data. In some implementations,controller 420 can include the memory 422 and/or additional memory tomemory 422 as integrated memory for storing some or all of these typesof data.

Power for component system 400 can in some implementations be providedfrom an AC voltage of a connected power source 430, which in someexamples can be an electrical outlet 430 including a hot terminal 431,neutral terminal 432, and optionally an earth ground connection 433. TheAC voltage 430 can be converted to a controlled DC voltage 436 utilizingpower rectifier 438 and voltage regulator 440. The DC voltage can beused as a supply by the gasket circuitry, sensors, and any othercomponents of the gasket. In other implementations, the component system400 can receive power from different and/or additional power sources,such as batteries. In some implementations, power can be wirelesslytransmitted from a remote source. For example, magnetic resonators canbe used to transfer power wirelessly over distances.

Some implementations can alternatively or additionally use one or moreanalog sensors 406 providing analog sensor signals. Additional convertercircuitry, such as a sample and hole and/or analog-to-digital converter,can be included in such implementations to convert the analog sensorsignals to a digital format. For example, the output of analog sensor406 can be coupled to an analog data bus 442, which in turn can becoupled to a sample and hold block 444 which uses the clock signal fromclock bus 412 to sample the analog sensor signals. The sampled signalscan be provided to an analog-to-digital converter that converts thereceived analog data to digital data for use by the controller 420. Invarious implementations, the analog-to-digital converter can beintegrated in the controller 420, or the analog-to-digital converter canbe a separate component 446 which converts the analog signal from thesample and hold block 444 to digital data and provides that digital dataon the digital data bus 410 to the controller 420.

In implementations using a wireless transceiver 426, any of a variety ofwireless protocols can be used. In one example implementation, a ZigBeetransceiver design can be used that is based on the 802.15.4 radiotransmission protocol, such as a Zigbit™ chip from Atmel Corporation. Inanother example implementation, wireless standards such as Wi-Fi based n802.11 can be used with components designed for that standard. In somenon-limiting examples, programmable microcontroller (MCU) 2205 and Wi-Fitransceiver 2210 from Cypress Semiconductor Corporation can be used.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of an example of a sensing gasket 500 thatcan be used in some implementations. In the example of FIG. 5, gasket500 can be slipped over prongs of a power connector such as an AC plug501 connected to an appliance, where the plug is shown in phantom lines.The plug 501 is designed to connect to an electric outlet providing 120V AC, 240 V AC, etc. In the example shown, prongs 502, 504, and 506 areinserted through openings 508, 510, and 512 of the gasket 500,respectively, such that the gasket 500 is seated against the housing ofthe plug 501. In some examples, prong 502 is the hot contact, prong 504is the neutral contact, and prong 506 is a ground contact. The openings508-512 are shown as shaped in rectangular or partially curved shapes tofit the prongs intended for use with the gasket. Other implementationscan use circular or oval openings (as shown in FIG. 3) or openingshaving other shapes or dimensions. Some implementations can providesufficiently large openings and/or flexible terminals or contacts toallow the gasket to fit many different plug or connector configurations.Furthermore, the plug 501 and gasket 500 are shown having an approximatewedge cross-sectional shape with a rounded protrusion on one side, butcan be provided in other shapes or combinations of shapes in otherembodiments, such as circular, rectangular, etc.

FIG. 6 is an exploded perspective view of an example implementation of agasket 600 similar to the gasket 500 shown in FIG. 5 or the gasket 20shown in FIG. 1. Gasket 600 can include a housing that includes a topcover 602 and a bottom cover 606 and which house a circuit board 604.The top and bottom covers 602 and 606 can be made of plastic or otherinsulative material in some implementations. The circuit board 604 canbe a thin substrate that includes circuitry implementing the gasketcircuitry, sensor circuitry, and/or sensors described above. In someimplementations, the circuit board 604 can be sandwiched between topcover 602 and interlocking bottom cover 606. Covers 602 and 606 andcircuit board 604 can be square or rectangular in shape as shown,wedge-shaped as shown in FIGS. 1 and 5, circular shaped, or otherwiseshaped. Other implementations can include a single cover for a housing,which can be integrated with the circuit board in some implementations.

In some implementations, flex board or other thin circuit boardsubstrate can be used for circuit board 604. In other implementations,circuit board 604 can be encapsulated in plastic or other material byproducing a mold with circuit board 604 inside the encapsulation. Whenthe gasket 600 is in use, conductive prongs of the appliance connectorcan be inserted through openings 610, 612, and 614 in the top plate 602,through aligned openings 620, 622, and 624 in the circuit board 604, andthrough openings 630, 632, and 634 in bottom plate 606. A couplingmechanism as described below can provide electrical connection betweenthe inserted prongs of the AC plug and the gasket circuitry.

FIG. 7 is a side view of one example implementation of a gasket 700. Insome embodiments, one or more edges 702 of the gasket 700 can includevarious connectors, interfaces, indicators, and/or other I/O components.In some examples, an interface connector 704 can be provided for astandard interface such as USB or other type. The connector 704 canallow connection of the gasket to a variety of devices, such as to acomputer, cell phone, or other electronic device to facilitateconfiguration and programming of the gasket code, parameters and/oroperation, connection to additional memory, peripherals, or sensors,etc. A memory slot 706 can be provided to connect to separate, smallform-factor memory modules such as micro-SD. LED light indicators 708can be provided to indicate any of a variety of gasket states, sensorstates, I/O states, etc. A reset button 710 can be provided to allowreset of one or more states of the gasket 700. A sensor connector 712can be used in some implementations to connect a separate sensor modulethat allows placement of one or more gasket sensors in a differentlocation in the vicinity of the gasket 700.

FIG. 8 is a top plan view of an example implementation of a separatesensor module which can be used with some implementations of a gasketdescribed herein. In some implementations, the sensor circuit of thegasket can constructed on the same circuit board substrate as theplatform circuitry, as shown in the example of FIG. 3, or in anothersubstrate included in the housing of the gasket. In otherimplementations, the sensor circuitry 308 and platform circuitry 306 asshown in FIG. 3 can be provided on separate circuit boards in separatemodules, and can be connected together as interlocking modules. Forexample, the sensor circuit 308 can be included in a small form factormodule 800 having a circuit board 802 and a connector 804 on one side ofthe circuit board 802. Some implementations can provide a portion of thesensor circuit 308 in module 800 and another portion in the gasket.Connector 804 can in some implementations correspond to a standardinterface 408 as shown in FIG. 4. For example, some implementations canallow sensor modules to be supplied by one or more additional supplierswhich can connect to the standard interface connector on the gaskethousing. Sensor circuit 806 can be integrated on the circuit board 802of the sensor module 800, and can include one or more sensors in someimplementations, or can connect to a separate sensor provided on board802 or otherwise within a housing of the sensor module 800.

Module 800 can be connected to a connector of the gasket. In someimplementations, the module 800 can be connected to connector such as aslot 712 on the side of the gasket 700 shown in FIG. 7. Someimplementations can connect the sensor module 800 with a gasket using acable or wire. The gasket 700 can include platform circuitry such thatconnector 804 makes electrical contact with that platform circuitry,e.g., via a standard interface 408 to a bus on the platform circuitry.By separating the sensor module and the gasket platform, a genericgasket platform can be provided in the gasket. The generic gasketplatform can be connected to a variety of multiple different sensortypes by attaching the appropriate sensor module(s) to the platform,allowing different environmental characteristics to be sensed asappropriate to particular applications. In some implementations,multiple sensor slots 712 can be provided on the gasket 700, allowingmultiple sensor modules 800 to be connected, where the sensors of theconnected modules can be the same or of differing types. Someimplementations can allow sensors to be connected to a gasket via astandard interface connector such as USB, memory card connector, etc.Various implementations can include other components in a sensor module800 in addition to one or more sensors, such as processor(s), memory forstoring sensor data, memory for storing program instructions for theprocessor(s), power supply, circuitry, etc. Furthermore, someimplementations can use a similar removable module that does not includesensors or sensor circuitry and which includes one or more of the othercomponents.

FIG. 9 is a side view of an example implementation 900 of a gasket andsensor module allowing connection of a sensor module to a gasketplatform. A sensor module 902 can include sensor circuitry similarly asmodule 800 of FIG. 8, and a gasket 904 includes platform circuitry and acavity 906 provided in one side of the gasket 904. Electrical contactcan be made between leads 908 on sensor module 902 with correspondingcontacts 910 in the cavity 906 of gasket 904. In some implementations,the sensor module 902 can snap into the cavity 906 such that when thesensor module is snapped into place, the surface of sensor module 902opposite to its leads is approximately flush with the correspondingsurface of gasket 904, thus reducing the size of the overall gasketassembly.

FIG. 10 is a top view of an example implementation of a circuit board1000 which can be used in a sensing apparatus and in which a magneticsensor is used. In some implementations, a gasket including circuitboard 1000 is placed over the conductive prongs of an applianceconnector, such as an AC plug head. This results in the prongs 1002 and1004 extending through openings 1006 and 1008. In the describedimplementation, opening 1006 is designated as a “hot” opening and prong1002 is designated the “hot” power conductor. Opening 1008 is designatedas a “neutral” opening and prong 1008 is designated the “neutral” powerconductor. In some implementations, a third opening 1010 and a thirdprong 1012 can be used, referred to as “ground.” In someimplementations, for example, the third opening 1010 on the gasket cancorrespond with the placement of a third prong on a three-prong plug.

A ring of material 1020 can be provided to surround the hot opening1006, and a gap 1022 can be included in ring 1020. Ring 1020 can be madeof a material that has the property of high magnetic permeability, suchas a ferrite material. Current travelling through prong 1002 induces amagnetic field and ring 1020 concentrates that magnetic field. This canincrease the strength of the magnetic field for easier measurement aswell as stabilize a signal sensed from the magnetic field bysignificantly reducing dependence on the distance between ring 1020 andprong 1002.

A sensor can be positioned to measure an intensity of the generatedmagnetic field. In the described implementation, a Hall effect sensor1024 can be mounted within gap 1022 of the ring 1020. For example, theHall effect sensor 1024 can be positioned at a right angle to themagnetic field concentrated by the ring 1020. The magnitude of themagnetic field that is experienced by the Hall effect sensor 1024 can bedetected by detection circuitry 1026, which can be included in thesensor circuitry for example. The detection circuitry 1026 can becoupled to the Hall effect sensor 1024 through conductors 1028 andprovides analog signals representative of the sensed magnetic field. Theanalog output of detection circuitry 1026 can be converted to a sensorsignal in a digital data format by analog-to-digital data conversioncircuitry 1032, which in turn can send the digital data signal to atransceiver such as a data transceiver 1034. In some implementations,the transceiver 1034 can transmit the digital data signal wirelessly viaan antenna 1035 to any data collector or server within suitable range.

Detection circuitry 1026, data conversion circuitry 1032, and wirelessdata transceiver 1034 can be driven by power generated by a powergeneration circuit 1040. Circuit 1040 can be a DC power generationcircuit in some implementations. Circuit 1040 can convert AC voltage onappliance prongs 1002 and 1004 to a DC voltage in the range of operationneeded for the gasket circuitry, such as 3V to 10V in some examples. Insome implementations, the input voltage from prongs 1002 and 1004 iscoupled to power generation circuit 1040 via conductive terminals 1044and 1046. In one example, each terminal can be a conductive, flexiblebrush that brushes against or otherwise physically contacts anassociated prong 1002 or 1004 while the gasket is slipped over the plugprongs through openings 1006 and 1008. In other implementations, othertypes of couplings can be used to provide voltage to the powergeneration circuit 1040, as described below.

FIGS. 11-14 are side views of various implementations providing acoupling between the prongs of the appliance connector and circuitry ofthe sensing apparatus (such as a gasket) using power from the prongs.FIG. 11 illustrates an example implementation 1100 of a coupling that isa conductive physical conductive contact between prong and conductiveterminal using a metal strip or conductive brushes. Conductive prongs1102 and 1104 provide voltage and current and can be the hot and neutralprongs of a plug, for example. The circuit board 1106 of the gasket caninclude gasket circuitry as described above. Openings 1108 and 1110 areprovided in the circuit board 1106 through which the prongs 1102 and1104 extend. Terminals such as metal strips or brushes 1120 and 1122 aremounted on circuit board 1106 and connected to circuitry provided on thecircuit board. The brushes 1120 and 1122 can be positioned to protrudesufficiently into corresponding openings 1108 and 1110, respectively,such that when prongs 1102 and 1104 are inserted into the openings 1108and 1110, contact is made between the brushes and the prongs. In someimplementations, the brushes 1120 and 1122 can be flexible enough tobend in response to the prongs being inserted, establishing firmcontact. Some implementations also can position brushes on additionalsides of the openings 1108 and 1110, such as brushes 1121 and 1123 asshown in FIG. 11. In some implementations using a ferrite ring providedaround one or more openings 1108 and 1110, similarly as described forFIG. 10, the brushes 1120 and 1122 can be positioned directly over or onthe ring if, for example, the ring is provided with an insulator at thepoints of contact, such as insulating ink, paint, or other coating.Alternatively, the ring can be positioned on the opposite side ofcircuit board 1106 to the brushes.

In some implementations, other conductive contacts can be used insteadof strips or brushes. In some examples, spring-loaded conductivecontacts can be positioned similarly to the two brushes 1120 and 1122 orsimilarly to the four brushes 1120-1123 shown in FIG. 11. For eachspring-loaded contact, a plunger can be connected to a base with aspring where the plunger extends over the corresponding opening of thecircuit board. This allows the plunger to retract away from the prong1102 or 1104 when the prong is inserted, while maintaining contact withthe prong. Spring-loaded contacts can be mounted on multiple sides of anopening and conductor in some implementations.

In other examples, ball bearing contacts can be used instead of brushes1120-1123, which are mounted to the circuit board 1106 similarly to thebrushes 1120 and 1122 and connected to the circuitry of board 1106. Foreach prong 1102 and 1104, a ball bearing can be placed in a ball bearinghousing that includes a spring mechanism. The spring forces the ballbearing toward the prong and allows the bearing to be pushed away when aprong is inserted, maintaining contact between bearing and prong. Ballbearings can be mounted on multiple sides of an opening and prong insome implementations.

FIG. 12 illustrates an example implementation 1200 of a coupling usingconductive foam. Openings 1202 and 1204 in circuit board 1206 can befilled with conductive foam 1208 and 1210, respectively. A slit or othersmall opening can be allowed through the foam to allow prongs 1212 and1214 to be inserted therethrough. The conductive foam 1208 and 1210establishes conductive physical contact with the corresponding prong1212 or 1214 and can overlap the surface of the circuit board wherecontact is made to the circuitry on the circuit board 1206. In someimplementations using a ring provided around one or more openingssimilarly as described for FIG. 10, the conductive foam 1208 and/or 1210can be positioned directly over or on the ring if the ring is providedwith an insulator at the points of contact, such as insulating ink,paint, or other coating.

FIG. 13 illustrates another example implementation 1300 of a couplingbetween gasket circuitry and the connector prongs, in which a capacitivecoupling is used. In this implementation, terminals connected to thegasket circuitry are not conductively contacted to one or more prongs(e.g., the conductive terminals are not extended beyond the ring intothe openings for the appliance connector prongs). Instead, a circuitryterminal acts as one side of a capacitor and a prong acts as the otherside of the capacitor, where a dielectric is provided between thesesides to prevent conductive contact of terminal and prong and form acapacitor.

Contact 1302 can be mounted on a circuit board 1304 to the edge of anopening 1306 in the circuit board and is connected to gasket circuitrysuch as power generation circuit 1040. A layer 1308 can be deposited onthe opening end of the contact 1302, which is a thin layer of materialhaving high permittivity. In some non-limiting examples, the thicknessof layer 1308 can be about 0.1 mm or less, and the relative permittivitycan be about 1,000 or higher. In some examples, a material such asbarium titanate (BaTiO₃) or lead zirconate titanate can be used.Optionally, layer 1308 can cover other sides of the contact 1302, suchthat an electrical connection can be made between the circuitry oncircuit board 1304 and contact 1302 without layer 1308 being in thatconnection.

A coupling capacitor is formed between prong 1310 of the applianceconnector (first conductive plate) and contact 1302 (second conductiveplate), where layer 1308 functions as a dielectric layer positionedbetween the conductive plates. The neutral prong 1312 can be inserted inopening 1314 and can be electrically connected to the gasket circuitryusing any of the implementations described above with reference to FIGS.11 and 12. For example, a conductive brush 1313 similar to those shownin FIG. 11 is shown in FIG. 13.

This implementation allows an AC input voltage on the applianceconnector prongs to be capacitively coupled to the gasket circuitryincluding the power generation circuit on the gasket, thus allowingpower to be derived from the appliance connector to drive the gasketcircuitry.

In some alternate implementations, gasket molding material or othermaterial can act as a dielectric in a capacitive coupling, e.g. above orbelow the field concentration material of ring 1020 in a cross-sectionalview of the board 1000 of FIG. 10.

FIG. 14 illustrates another example implementation 1400 of a capacitivecoupling between gasket circuitry and the connector prongs. A contact1402 is connected to the gasket circuitry on circuit board 1404. A highpermittivity layer 1406 can coat the side and the top of the contact1402. A layer of conductive foam 1408 can cover a part of the highpermittivity layer 1406. When a hot prong 1410 is inserted throughopening 1412, the conductive foam 1408 is compressed to ensure that anelectrical contact exists between the prong 1410 and the highpermittivity layer 1406. Thus a capacitive coupling is formed betweenprong 1410 and contact 1402 acting as conductive plates, with the highpermittivity layer 1406 acting as a dielectric. Neutral prong 1412 canbe inserted in opening 1414 and can be electrically connected to thegasket circuitry using any desired method, e.g., any of theimplementations described above with reference to FIGS. 11 and 12.

In some other implementations, the layer of conductive foam 1408 can beremoved, allowing an air gap to exist between conductor 1410 and highpermittivity layer 1406 and connecting in series another capacitorhaving air as the dielectric. Such an implementation may dramaticallydecrease the effective capacitance between hot prong 1410 and contact1402 and in some implementations may result in insufficient coupling forproper operation of one or more gasket circuits.

FIG. 15 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example power supplycircuit 1500 suitable for some implementations of the sensing apparatus.Circuit 1500 includes a rectifier 1502 and a voltage regulator 1504which collectively can generate DC power from an AC electric current. Insome implementations, power supply circuit 1500 can be included in theplatform circuitry of a gasket as described above, e.g., in DC powergeneration block 1040 of FIG. 10, for example.

Power supply 1506 is a power source to which the appliance connector isconnected, such as an electrical socket of an outlet. The neutralconnection 1512 of the power supply is coupled to the ground node 1514of the circuit 1500. The hot connection 1508 from the power supply iscoupled to an input node 1510 of the power supply circuit 1500, such asvia any of the coupling implementations described above with respect toFIGS. 11-14.

Capacitor 1516 can be connected to couple input node 1510 to internalnode 1518. The cathode of diode 1520 is connected to node 1518, and theanode is coupled to ground node 1514. The anode of diode 1522 isconnected to node 1518, and the cathode is connected to output node1524. Output storage capacitor 1526 is connected between output node1524 and ground node 1514. Zener diode 1528 is connected in parallelwith capacitor 1526 with its cathode coupled to output node 1524 and itsanode coupled to ground node 1514.

The rectifier circuit 1502 rectifies the input voltage at node 1510 andstores a DC charge on capacitor 1526. The charge on node 1524 can beused as a power source to drive all or a subset of circuits on thegasket. The Zener diode 1528 clamps the voltage at a predeterminedlevel, thereby keeping node 1524 from going above a desired voltagelevel.

The output of rectifier circuit 1502 is provided to an input of avoltage regulator 1504. The output node 1530 of voltage regulator 1504is a DC voltage that is used to power circuits on the gasket.

In other implementations of the rectifier circuit 1502, the operation issimilar as described above except that the input voltage can becapacitively coupled from the conductors of the appliance connector.Some example embodiments of such a connection are described above withreference to FIGS. 13-14. In some capacitive-coupled implementations, acapacitor can be connected only between the hot connection and node1518. In other implementations, a capacitor can be additionally coupledbetween the ground node and the neutral node.

FIG. 16 is a diagrammatic illustration 1600 of the operation of therectifier circuit 1502 example of FIG. 15. The AC input voltage isrepresented by the sinusoidal waveform 1602. The internal node voltageat node 1518 is represented by waveform 1604. The output voltage at node1524 is represented by waveform 1606. As waveform 1602 rises to a morepositive voltage, waveform 1604 follows that voltage since it is coupledby capacitor 1516 of FIG. 15.

While the voltage on node 1518 is higher than the voltage on output node1524, diode 1522 passes current. Therefore, waveform 1606 followswaveform 1604 to time point 1610. Beyond time point 1610, input waveform1602 goes to a lower voltage. Waveform 1604 follows the voltage waveform1602 since it is coupled by capacitor 1516. At this point, the voltageon node 1518 is lower than on node 1524, causing diode 1522 to no longerconduct current. Therefore, charge is trapped on storage capacitor 1526,maintaining a constant voltage at node 1524. These respective voltagesare represented between time points 1610 and 1612.

At time point 1612, the voltage on node 1518 begins to go negative. Thisplaces diode 1520 into a state where it conducts current, therebyconnecting node 1518 to ground 1514. For this reason, node 1518 is nowmaintained at ground level. Since the voltage on node 1524 remainshigher than node 1518, diode 1522 remains non-conducting, and thevoltage on node 1524 continues to remain constant. These respectivevoltages are represented between time points 1612 and 1614.

At time point 1614, input voltage at node 1510 begins to swing to morepositive voltages again. The voltage on internal node 1518 is coupledhigh through capacitor 1516. Since the voltage on node 1518 is nowhigher than ground 1514, diode 1520 goes into a non-conducting state.When the voltage on node 1518 exceeds the output voltage at node 1524,diode 1522 goes into a conducting state, thereby bringing node 1524 to ahigher voltage. This is the case until input voltage at node 1510 beginsto swing low again, which in turn will cause node 1518 to swing low intoa lower voltage than node 1524. Diode 1520 will now go into anon-conducting state, trapping charge on output node 1524. Theserespective voltages are represented between time points 1614 and 1616.

The above describes rectifier circuit operation over one period of theAC input voltage cycle. When charge is drawn from node 1524 to drivecircuitry on the gasket, the voltage on node 1524 will drop as well.Device sizes can be chosen such that following periods of the AC inputvoltage replenish the charge that was consumed by circuitry on thegasket.

FIG. 17 is a block diagram of an example of circuitry 1700 which can beused in conjunction with one or more sensors. In some implementations,one or more components of circuitry 1700 can be included in a sensorcircuitry block of the gasket as described above for sensing currentflowing through appliance prongs, e.g., in detection circuitry 1026and/or data conversion block 1032 of FIG. 10. Circuitry 1700 can includea sensor block 1702 and a converter block 1704. The sensing circuitry1700 can be used with a sensing ring implementation as described above,for example. Other appropriate sensing circuitry can be used with othertypes and implementations of sensors.

Sensor block 1702 can be used to sense a magnetic field caused bycurrent flowing in the appliance connector. For example, a ferrite ringhaving a gap can be positioned around the hot opening in the gasketcircuit board, as shown in the example of FIG. 10. Sensor block 1702 caninclude a magnetic Hall effect sensor positioned inside that gap. Theconcentrated magnetic field produced in the ferrite ring due to theelectric current flowing through the hot conductor of the applianceconnector results in a voltage on output 1708 of the Hall effect sensor.In an example implementation, a Hall effect sensor such as the A1362from Allegro MicroSystems, Inc. can be used. The Hall effect sensor canproduce a particular voltage amount for every amount of current throughthe hot prong. In some implementations, the hot prong provides anoscillating AC voltage, and the resulting Hall sensor current on output1708 oscillates as well.

The oscillating voltage on sensor output 1708 can be converted to a DCvoltage using converting circuitry in converter block 1704. For example,the output signal on output 1708 can be input to a RMS-to-DC converterchip in block 1704. An example of a RMS converter chip is AD536A fromAnalog Devices, Inc. An output 1712 from block 1710 can output theresulting DC voltage. As the current through the hot prong increases,the magnitude of oscillating output signal on line 1708 increases, whichresults in a corresponding increase in SRMS voltage on output 1712. Inthis way, the voltage on output 1712 is a measure of the current drawnby the appliance, whose hot prong passes current through the ferritering in the gasket.

The output signal on output 1712 can be connected to a controller 1720,such as a processor as described above with reference to FIG. 4. In somenon-limiting example implementations, an ATmega PCI18F26K20 8-bitmicroprocessor can be utilized. In some examples, the input analogvoltage on line 1712 can be connected to a pin on microcontroller 1720that connects to an analog-to-digital converter and generatescorresponding internal digital data to process by the controller 1720.Other implementations can use one or more other types of processors,such as digital logic, ASIC, etc.

FIG. 18 is a schematic diagram of an example surge protection circuitry1800 which can be used in some implementations of a sensing apparatus.For example, standard household power may have large intermittent spikesof short duration, which may exceed the maximum voltage tolerance ofcircuit components on the gasket, making them vulnerable to partialdamage or failure. Surge protection circuit 1800 can reduce thevulnerability of such components. Surge protection circuitry 1800 can beimplemented in a relatively small space and is suitable to be providedon compact gaskets.

Rectifier circuitry 1802 can include components similar to the rectifiercircuit 1502 described above with reference to FIG. 15. Protectioncircuitry 1804 can be used to protect circuits on the gasket from powersurges. Protection circuitry 1804 is connected between hot prong 1806and the neutral prong 1808 of the appliance conductor, and can includethree components connected in series in the described implementation.

The first component can be a thermistor 1810, which functions as aresettable fuse in the circuitry 1800. At room temperature, the seriesresistance of thermistor 1810 is low, e.g., typically less than about3.8 ohms in some examples. As current through thermistor 1800 increases,its internal temperature rises, increasing its resistance exponentially.Therefore, an unusually high current through thermistor 1810 causes itto act like an open circuit or a blown fuse. When normal operation isrestored, the thermistor 1810 returns to normal temperature, e.g., thefuse “resets” itself. The thermistor can be provided to withstand shortvoltage spikes, including spikes that are typically caused by lightningstrikes. In some non-limiting examples, thermistor 1810 can operatenormally at 450 mA and trip at 675 mA; during normal operation, lessthan 170 mA can flow through the thermistor 1810. An example of asuitable thermistor for some implementations is 0ZRA1000FF1A fromBelfuse, Inc.

A second component of the protection circuitry 1804 can be abidirectional TVS (transient voltage suppression) diode 1812.Bidirectional TVS diode 1812 can be connected in parallel with thecoupling capacitor 1816. The bidirectionality of diode 1812 is notnecessary for surge protection, but may be needed for proper rectifieroperation. When the voltage exceeds a normal operating voltage in eitherpositive or negative polarity, the bidirectional TVS diode 1812 conductscurrent through an avalanche breakdown mechanism, thereby limiting thevoltage across the capacitor 1816. Thus, TVS diode 1812 can protect thecoupling capacitor 1816 from over-voltage by shunting current around thecapacitor. In some non-limiting examples, the diode 1812 can operatenormally at 170 volts, limit voltage to about 182 volts or less, and canhandle a surge current of up to 5A. A non-limiting example of abidirectional TVS diode is SMDJ170A from Littlefuse, Inc.

A third component of the protection circuitry 1804 can be a TVS diode1814, which breaks down when the reverse bias exceeds a specifiedthreshold, thereby conducting current and clamping the voltage to aspecified level. In case severe faults occur elsewhere on the circuitboard, the TVS diode 2333 can clamp the voltage on the rectifier to safelevels, protecting the power supply and sensitive circuitry. In somenon-limiting examples, the TVS diode 1814 can start to break down at 6-7volts and clamps the voltage on node 1818 to less than 10V at 50A, wherethe maximum forward surge current that can be handled by the diode is70A.

In some implementations, in addition to protecting the gasket circuitry,the surge protection circuit 1800 also can provide a measure of surgeprotection to the appliance connected to the appliance connector. Theappliance can be connected between the same hot and neutral nodes as thegasket circuitry. During a voltage spike, TVS diodes 1812 and 1814reduce the voltage input into the gasket circuits that is the voltagebetween hot and neutral prongs. At the same time, thermistor 1810decreases in resistance, thereby decreasing the current into the gasketcircuits. During a short spike, the voltage between the two conductorsis clamped since TVS diodes 1812 and 1814 react more quickly thanthermistor 1810. During this interval of time, the connected applianceis protected due to the clamping of the voltage. However, in the case oflonger spike duration, the thermistor will increase in resistance,thereby increasing the voltage between the prongs. At this point, thegasket circuits are protected but the voltage on the appliance is nolonger clamped. In some alternative implementations, the thermistor canbe placed in series with the appliance to limit the current, but thisconfiguration may not be suitable for some gasket designs.

FIG. 19 is a flow diagram illustrating an example method 1900 ofprocessing digital sensor values by gasket circuitry. For example, thesensor values can be provided in a digital data signal provided from asensor and/or other circuitry and received by one or more processorssuch as the controller 420 shown in FIG. 4, and the processor(s) canimplement process 1900. Instructions for the processor to implement theprocess may be stored, for example, in the memory 422 or other availablestorage. A software implementation for method 1900 can include but isnot limited to firmware, resident software, microcode, etc. Someimplementations can take the form of a computer program productaccessible from a computer-usable or computer-readable medium providingprogram code for use by or in connection with a computer, processor, orany instruction execution system. For the purposes of this description,a computer-usable or computer readable medium can be any apparatus thatcan contain, store, communicate, propagate, or transport the program foruse by or in connection with the instruction execution system,apparatus, or device. The medium can be an electronic, magnetic,optical, electromagnetic, infrared, or semiconductor system (orapparatus or device) or a propagation medium. Examples of acomputer-readable storage medium include a semiconductor or solid-statememory, magnetic tape, a removable computer diskette, a random accessmemory (RAM), a read-only memory (ROM), a rigid magnetic disk and anoptical disk.

In some implementations of method 1900, discrete digital RMS values arereceived as a function of time and are stored in a double bufferedarray, and the values are processed to reflect a unit of energy consumedper unit time. In the implementation described in FIG. 19, a first setof received sensor values are buffered and then averaged to a resultingaverage value that is transmitted, and a second set of the next receivedsensor values are similarly buffered while the first set is beingprocessed and transmitted, where the second set is to be averaged andtransmitted similarly to the first set. In other implementations, asingle array can be used to store received and/or processed sensor data.

Some implementations can receive an analog RMS input signal from sensorcircuitry and convert the analog signal to a digital value with a sampleand hold circuit and analog-to-digital converter, as described above forFIG. 4. For example, the sample and hold circuit 444 can triggerintervals controlled by the clock generator 414. In one non-limitingexample, the clock can trigger a sample and hold event every 1millisecond.

In step 1902, a count variable N is initialized to zero. In step 1904, adigital value is received, e.g., from an analog-to-digital converter. Instep 1906, the digital value X_(N) is stored in a first array. Forexample, the array can be implemented in memory 422. In step 1908 thecount variable N is incremented. In step 1910, the process checkswhether N has reached a maximum count value for the first array. Forexample, the first array can have a maximum count value of N=16 in someimplementations (for holding 16 values in the first array), or someother value depending on the desired amount of stored values to averageat one time. If N has not reached the maximum count value, then theprocess returns to step 1904 to receive another digital value.

If N has reached maximum count value, then the process cansimultaneously continue to steps 1912 and 1920. In step 1912, the storedvalues in the first array are averaged. In some implementations, thevalues can be averaged using a moving average method or algorithm. Forexample, the following average formula can be used:

CA[i+1]=X[i+1]+(i*CA[k])/i+1

where CA is a moving cumulative average, X is a value, and i is a countvariable incremented for each value in the array. This type of averagecan reduce the amount storage space required in determining an averagefrom stored values. Other averaging methods can be used in otherimplementations.

After step 1912, step 1914 transmits the averaged value using atransceiver, such as a wireless transmission to a data collector 16 orserver 18. In some implementations, the averaged value can be stored(e.g., in a third array) until a predetermined number of averaged valueshave been determined, and then the predetermined number of values can betransmitted together in a single transmission event every predeterminedtime interval. The amount of values stored can be based on the specificimplementation. This branch of the process then ends for the currentiteration.

Once N has reached maximum count value as determined in step 1910, thenthe process also performs another branch in which a second array is usedto store the next set of received values. The process can continue fromstep 1910 to step 1920 at the same time that the process is averagingthe values stored in the first array in step 1912, or at a differenttime in alternate implementations. In step 1920, a digital value isreceived, and in step 1922, the digital value X_(N) is stored in asecond array that can be implemented in memory 422, for example. Thesecond array can be the same size as the first array in someimplementations. In step 1924, the count variable N is incremented, andin step 1926 the process checks whether N has reached a second maximumcount value associated with the second array. In some implementations,the second array can have a maximum count value that is double themaximum count value of the first array, e.g., a maximum count value of32 in implementations in which the first array maximum count value is16. If N has not reached the maximum count value, then the processreturns to step 1920 to receive another digital value. If N has reachedthe second maximum count value, then the process can simultaneouslycontinue to steps 1928 and 1902. In step 1928, the stored values in thesecond array are averaged, e.g., similarly as the values in the firstarray as described above. In next step 1930, the averaged value can bestored or transmitted using a transceiver similarly as the averagedvalue in step 1914. This branch of the process then ends for the currentiteration. Furthermore, once N has reached maximum count value asdetermined in step 1926, then the process also returns to step 1902 toreset the counter N and to begin storing values in the first array. Thusthe process can continue from step 1910 to step 1920 and store valuesinto the second array at the same time that the process is averaging thevalues stored in the first array in step 1912, and similarly storevalues in the first array while averaging values in the second array. Inthis manner, data can be processed from one of the two arrays while newdata is stored in the other array. In some implementations, fewer oradditional arrays can be used.

The resulting averaged data values can be transmitted (e.g., in a datapacket) along with other information to a data collector 16 or server18. The data values can be processed on the data collector or server todetermine the sensed condition. For example, in the implementationsdescribed above the data values represent sensed current consumption bythe appliance as measured through the appliance connector. A server can,for example, take the square root of the value and multiply by a unitconversion factor, with the result representing an average amount ofenergy used per unit time over the predetermined time interval betweeneach transmission by the gasket. The resolution of measurement can beadjusted to a desired level by altering the number of data values withwhich a single averaged data value is calculated. For example, bystoring fewer measurements X_(N) in the array and then calculating themoving average value, the resolution of energy measurement is increasedat the expense of requiring more data to be transmitted from the gasket,and vice versa.

It should be noted that the operations of the process 1900 can beimplemented in the order of operations shown, in a different order,and/or some of the operations performed simultaneously whereappropriate.

FIG. 20 is a perspective exploded view of an example implementation 2000showing a physical construction of a gasket including one or morefeatures described herein. In some implementations it is desired thatthe gasket be thin enough not to interfere with the mechanism that holdsthe appliance connector in the supply connector such as an electricaloutlet. For example, a thickness for the gasket in some implementationscan be about 3 mm. Some implementations can also provide the gasket witha cross-sectional area that can fit within the surface area of theappliance connector such as a standard AC plug.

In a described example, the gasket can include a top molded plate 2002and a bottom molded plate 2004 of a housing, with a flex circuit board2006 positioned between these plates. The top and bottom plates can bemade of plastic or other insulating material, for example. Top plate2002 can include an opening 2010 at a relative location of a hot prongof an appliance plug, an opening 2012 to receive a neutral prong, and anopening 2014 to receive a ground prong. A spacer 2016 can include anopening sized to the hot prong and can be surrounded by a ferrite ring2018 having a gap 2019. The spacer 2016 and ring 2018 can be inserted inthe opening 2010 of the top plate 2002.

Flex circuit board 2006 can include a terminal or flap 2020 positionedfor the neutral prong and a terminal or flap 2022 positioned for the hotprong of the appliance connector. Flaps 2020 and 2022 can be coated witha conductive material and extend beyond the ferrite ring 2018 into theopening receiving the respective prongs. The ferrite ring 2018 can becoated with a dielectric, thereby avoiding electrical contact with flap2022. In this manner, flap 2022 can act as a contact brush to contactthe hot prong while flap 2020 can act as a contact brush to contact theneutral prong. The flex board material can be sufficiently flexible tobend as the prongs are inserted into the gasket openings, andsufficiently rigid to snap back into their neutral positions when thegasket is removed from the appliance plug.

A Hall effect sensor 2030 can be mounted on a flex board flap 2032,which can be twisted by 90 degrees as shown to be positioned inside thegap 2019 of ferrite ring 2018. Circuitry 2036 can be surface mounted onone or both sides of flex board 2006. The sides of top plate 2002 andbottom plate 2004 that face towards the flex board 2006 can be moldedprecisely to match the contour of the circuitry. For example, whenpressed together, top plate 2002 and bottom plate 2004 can snap togetherwith an interlocking mechanism on the edge of the gasket, holding inplace flex board 2006, spacer 2016, and ferrite ring 2018.

FIG. 21 illustrates an example of a top view of an implementation of theflex circuit board 2100 similar to the implementations shown in FIG. 20.Flex circuit board 2100 is a substrate which can be very thin (comparedto regular FR4 printed circuit boards) and flexible, and on whichcircuit components can be mounted. The thickness of the flex circuitboard can depend on material choices and the number of metal layersused. In addition, the flex board can be integrated into an injectionmolding fabrication process.

The outline of the flex board 2100 can be made to match thecross-sectional shape of a standard appliance plug, where in the example2100 the board can be similarly-shaped to the wedge-shaped plug andgasket shape shown in FIG. 5. Opening 2102 and the opening 2104 canreceive the neutral prong and earth ground prong of the adaptorconnector, respectively. The hot prong of the adaptor connector can fitthrough the opening 2105. A Hall effect sensor 2107 can be located onflap 2106. The cut-out area 2108 of the flex board can be used toposition a gapped ferrite ring 2110.

The ferrite ring 2110 can be any of a variety of shapes, including acircular ring as shown above in other implementations. Ferrite ring 2110can alternatively be a rectangular structure as shown in FIG. 21. Insome implementations, the rectangular ferrite structure 2110 may be moreefficient in terms of space allocation than a circular structure. Theopening in the ring 2110 can be large enough to accommodate a hot prongof the appliance connector. In one non-limiting example, the opening canbe at least 7 mm long (longest dimension) and 4 mm wide, and the gap2112 in ring 2110 (or gap 1022 in circular ring 1020) can be about 1 mmand long enough to fit a Hall effect sensor.

Examples of various other components are also shown on flex board 2100in examples of FIG. 21. Rectangular ferrite structure 2110 can be placedin the cut-away area 2108 of the circuit board 2100 such that the gap2112 aligns with Hall effect sensor 2107 on flap 2106. In someimplementations, flap 2106 can be folded along line 2120, therebyturning the surface of Hall effect sensor 2107 perpendicular to ring gap2112. A surface-mounted microcontroller 2122, transceiver 2124, antennachip 2126, and discrete circuit components can be mounted in the spaceavailable on flex board 2100.

Antenna chip 2126 can be space efficient and may require no groundplane. One non-limiting example of a suitable antenna chip is1450AT43D100 from Johanson Technology, Inc. In some implementations, aless expensive antenna can alternatively be formed by using conductivetraces on the flex board 2100. Two antenna designs 2130 and 2132 areshown as examples. In some implementations, such alternative antennasmay cause the size of the gasket to be increased beyond the size of astandard plug.

In other implementations, silicon chips can be mounted directly on aninsulating substrate, e.g. using a technique called chip-scalepackaging. Alternatively, Micro-Electra-Mechanical Systems (MEMs) can beused to produce the ferrite ring functionality and gasket the circuitry.In some implementations, organic electronics can be used to constructthe circuitry through a sequential process of printing layers offunctional dielectric, conductive, and semiconductor inks on thinflexible plastic or fabric substrates. Some implementations can producegasket circuits by encapsulating the circuits in plastic or constructingcircuitry between two molded plastic plates. Alternatively, the gasketboards can be encapsulated directly into an appliance connector.

FIG. 22 is a block diagram illustrating an example implementation 2200of a sensing apparatus, such as a gasket, in which multiple sensors areconnected to the gasket. Gasket 2200 is connected to three differentsensors 2202, 2204, and 2206. The sensors are connected to a standardinterface bus 2210 through a multiplexer 2208. The interface bus 2210 iscoupled to the gasket platform 2212 (such as a gasket circuit board).For example, in some implementations the multiplexer 2208, interface bus2210, and gasket platform 2212 (such as a circuit board) can be providedwithin the housing of the gasket while one or more of sensors 2202-2206are separate from the gasket and coupled to the gasket via a connectorsuch as shown above for FIGS. 7-9. One of more of such sensors can bemade interchangeable such that the sensor can be disconnected and adifferent sensor and/or sensor type can be connected to the gasketcircuitry, In some embodiments, one or more of the sensors 2202-2206 canbe included in the gasket housing, e.g., sensor types that are usefulfor a wide array of applications.

In some implementations, the multiplexer 2208 can be used to select oneof the sensors 2202-2206 from which to receive sensor data forprocessing at any given interval in time. For example, sensor 2202 canbe read and processed during a first interval of time, sensor 2204 canbe read and processed during a second interval of time, and sensor 2206can be read and processed during a third interval of time. At the fourthinterval of time, sensor 2202 can be read and processed again, and soon. This concept can be expanded to n sensors, where n intervals of timeare sequentially read and processed, and where the resulting readfrequency of any one sensor is sufficiently high to achieve the readresolution desired.

A sensing apparatus, such as a gasket, with one or more features asdescribed herein can send sensor data to a receiving device such as adata collector 16 and/or server 18. For example, the gasket can collectcurrent sensor data and calculate average values as described above. Insome implementations, packets transmitted from the gasket can include aheader that includes an IP address and media access control (MAC)address assigned to the gasket and identifying the gasket on thenetwork. At the receiving device (e.g., data collector or server), agasket's MAC address and IP address can be associated with the receivedaverage data by interrogating the header section of the receivedinformation packet.

In some implementations, the physical location of the gasket can bedetermined by a receiving device based on received sensor data. In someexamples, one or more geographic attributes can be assigned to sensordata that is collected. For example, each gasket can be associated witha specific outlet receptacle 14 or other receptacle, and may betypically stationary in some implementations. Thus, a gasket IP addressand/or MAC address can be associated with the location of a specificoutlet when the gasket and plug are plugged into that outlet.Thereafter, the association of an IP address or MAC address can beassociated with a specific physical location. One way that this can beaccomplished is to make this association manually. Specifically, whenthe gasket is plugged in, a user can associate the gasket's outletlocation with a known MAC address of the gasket or an assigned IPaddress of the gasket. In some implementations, this association can beautomated by connected software or device to avoid potential errors thatmay occur when a gasket is unplugged from one outlet and plugged intoanother without making the corresponding changes to the associatedphysical location. Thus, if a user or receiving device has kept track ofthe location where a given gasket was placed and the particularappliance(s) connected to it, then the data received from the gasket canbe associated with the location at which it was obtained and with theappliance pertinent to the measurements.

In some implementations, location circuitry can be included in a sensingapparatus, such as a gasket, to assist in determining the geographicalor physical location of the gasket. The location circuit can receivelocation signals from one or more sources and provide locationinformation indicative of a physical or geographical location of thegasket. The location information can be transmitted by the transmitterto a receiving device such as a data collector or server. For example,in some implementations, global positioning system (GPS) co-ordinatescan be used to identify the physical location of the outlet into which agasket is plugged. In some examples, this can be accomplished byincluding a small GPS receiver chip within or connected to the gasket.Location information indicating the GPS-determined location of thegasket can be transmitted from the gasket to a receiving device. Anexample of such a chip having small size is the GNS7560 receiver chipfrom NXP Semiconductors. In some other examples, a ZigBee™ RTLS (RealTime Location System) can be utilized for the purposes of automaticallymapping gaskets to their physical location. For example, an RTLS chip orcircuit can be included in the gasket circuitry in some implementations.Either on demand or periodically, this chip can take measurements oftime of arrival (TOA) or received signal strength (RSSI) from nearbyreference sensors, whose locations are known. These measurements can beincluded in a data packet transmitted from the gasket to a receivingdevice (data collector or server). Software such as a location engine,e.g., residing on the data collector 16 or centralized server 18, cancalculate the location of the gasket based on the TOA and RSSI data,along with known distances to and locations of the reference sensors.The resulting location can then be associated with the gasket's IPaddress or MAC address. An example of an RTLS locator chip is CC2431from Texas Instruments Inc.

In addition, the received data can be time-stamped at time of arrival atthe receiving device. Thus the data can be associated with the time,location and the appliance related to the sensed measurement. In someimplementations, the gasket can timestamp measured data points at thetime of measurement and before they are transmitted to provide increasedprecision and avoid a varying and/or unknown delay between the time ofmeasurement and time of arrival of data at a receiving device. Forexample, the real-time clock 416 can be used to provide the time for thetimestamps. The timestamp information can be included in the data packetthat is transmitted from the gasket, to be extracted and used as thetimestamp by the receiving device.

In some implementations, the sensing apparatus, such as a gasket, caninclude recovery mechanisms to overcome temporary network failure. Theaveraged data points can be stored in memory during network failureinstead of transmitting them, e.g., by increasing the allocated amountof memory available on the gasket. The oldest data in memory can beoverwritten by newly measured data if the memory becomes full, allowingthe latest set of data to be stored on the gasket (e.g., with associatedtimestamps), ready to be transmitted when network communications arerestored.

Some implementations enable the receiving device to identify theappliance connected to a sensing apparatus, such as a gasket, byexamining received data and identifying unique characteristics of atransient current of the appliance when it is first powered on. Forexample, this identification can be made on the receiving device afterthe data on the gasket has been transmitted by matching incoming datawith a table or database on the receiving device storingpreviously-received data that corresponds to specific appliances. Inthis manner, the data can be used to identify an electronic “signature”of the appliance as a means of identifying that appliance.

Another feature used in some implementations of the sensing apparatus,such as a gasket, is remote software or firmware updating. In oneexample implementation, program instructions to manage the update can bestored in a part of the gasket's memory that is not part of theoperating system. During a remote software update, the gasket cancontinue to operate by taking instructions from that code. The newsoftware can be transmitted wirelessly, and overwrite the existing codewith the new code.

It should be noted that the diagrams described herein may illustratefunctional blocks and that the components may be arranged differently.For example, memory 422 of FIG. 4 may be integrated into the controller420 and/or other components may be integrated or separately connected.These and other design variants will be appreciated by those of ordinaryskill in the art. It should also be noted that various features andimplementations for gaskets described herein can apply to other formsand types of sensing apparatus consistent with the disclosure.

Although various examples have been described using specific terms anddevices, such description is for illustrative purposes only. The wordsused are words of description rather than of limitation. In addition, itshould be understood that aspects of various other examples may beinterchanged either in whole or in part. It is therefore intended thatthe claims be interpreted in accordance with their true spirit and scopeand without limitation or estoppel.

What is claimed is:
 1. A gasket comprising: a housing including aplurality of openings operative to receive a plurality of prongs of apower connector for an appliance; at least one sensor operative to senseat least one characteristic of an environment; a transmitter operativeto transmit one or more signals derived from the at least one sensedcharacteristic, wherein the transmitted signals are capable of beingreceived by a receiving device; and a power circuit operative to providepower from electric current received from at least one of the prongs tothe at least one sensor and the transmitter.
 2. The gasket of clam 1wherein the at least one sensor is operative to sense at least onecharacteristic of an electric current flowing through at least one ofthe prongs.
 3. The gasket of claim 1 further comprising a convertercircuit operative to convert one or more sensed analog voltages to theone or more signals that are provided as digital data signals.
 4. Thegasket of claim 1 wherein the power circuit is coupled to at least oneconductive terminal operative to conductively contact at least one ofthe prongs and create an electrical connection between the at least oneterminal and the at least one contacted prong, wherein the at least oneterminal provides at least a portion of the electric current to thepower circuit.
 5. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the power circuit iscapacitively coupled to at least one of the prongs, wherein thecapacitive coupling provides at least a portion of the electric currentto the power circuit.
 6. The gasket of claim 1 further comprising atleast one ring of material provided around at least one of the pluralityof openings, wherein the ring of material has a magnetic permeabilityoperative to concentrate a magnetic field generated by electric currentflowing through the at least one prong, and wherein the at least onesensor includes a Hall effect sensor, wherein the at least one sensor isoperative to measure an intensity of the generated magnetic field andconvert the measured intensity to the electrical signal representativeof the intensity.
 7. The gasket of claim 2 wherein the one or moresignals include sensor data signals representative of power consumptionof the appliance.
 8. The gasket of claim 1 further comprising at leastone processor coupled to the transmitter, and wherein the transmittertransmits the one or more signals via wireless communication.
 9. Thegasket of claim 1 wherein the gasket is operative to be engaged with thepower connector of the appliance while the power connector is connectedto an electrical outlet, wherein the electric current is AC current froman electrical outlet, and wherein the power circuit is operative toconvert the AC current to DC current for powering the at least onesensor and the transmitter.
 10. The gasket of claim 1 wherein thehousing includes the power circuitry, and wherein the at least onesensor is included in a removable sensor module physically distinct fromthe housing, wherein the sensor module is operative to be connected tothe housing by one or more connectors provided on the housing.
 11. Thegasket of claim 10 wherein the one or more connectors of the housing areprovided for a standardized interface and the sensor module has aconnector for the standardized interface.
 12. The gasket of claim 1wherein the housing includes the power circuitry, and further comprisinga removable module physically distinct from the housing and operative tobe connected to the housing by one or more connectors provided on thehousing, wherein the module includes a_(t) least one of: the at leastone sensor, memory for storing sensor data, and memory for storingprogramming instructions for the gasket.
 13. The gasket of claim 1further comprising memory storing instructions governing operation ofthe gasket, and a standardized interface connector coupled to thememory, the standardized interface connector operative to be connectedto an electronic device that is operative to provide configuration andprogramming of the instructions.
 14. The gasket of claim 1 wherein theat least one sensor is a plurality of sensors, and wherein the pluralityof sensors include sensors of a plurality of different types, each typefor sensing a different characteristic of the environment.
 15. Thegasket of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is a digital sensor.16. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the at least one sensor is an analogsensor.
 17. The gasket of claim 1 wherein one or more of the at leastone sensor is positioned remotely from the housing, and is connected tothe transmitter by a wire.
 18. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the powercircuit includes a surge protection circuit operative to protect atleast the power circuit from power surges and spikes in the electriccurrent, wherein the surge protection circuit includes a powerrectifier.
 19. The gasket of claim 1 wherein the gasket is coupled tomemory operative to store the signals over time as data, and wherein thetransmitter is operative to transmit the data in response to acommunication channel being available.
 20. The gasket of claim 1 whereinthe housing is separate from and physically coupled to an applianceconnector housing, wherein the at least one sensor and the power circuitare integrated on a single flex board provided between a top cover ofthe housing and a bottom cover of the housing, and wherein the gasketfurther comprises at least one ferrite ring that is coupled to the flexboard.
 21. The gasket of claim 1 further comprising a location circuitoperative to receive location signals and provide location informationindicative of a physical location of the gasket, the locationinformation to be output by the transmitter.
 22. A method for sensingusing a gasket, comprising: providing a housing including a plurality ofopenings operative to receive a plurality of prongs of a power connectorof an appliance; sensing at least one characteristic of an environmentusing at least one sensor coupled to the housing; transmitting one ormore signals using a transmitter included in the housing, wherein theone or more signals are derived from the at least one sensedcharacteristic, and wherein the transmitted signals are received by areceiving device; and converting power from electric current receivedfrom at least one of the prongs to a form usable by the at least onesensor and the transmitter using power circuitry included in thehousing.
 23. The method of claim 22 wherein the sensing at least onecharacteristic includes sensing at least one characteristic of electriccurrent flowing through at least one of the plurality of prongs, andwherein the one or more transmitted signals include informationindicative of a power consumption of the appliance.
 24. The method ofclaim 23 wherein the sensing includes measuring an intensity of amagnetic field generated by electric current passing through the atleast one prong.
 25. The method of claim 22 further comprising providingat least one ring of material around the at least one opening toconcentrate the magnetic field.
 26. The method of claim 22 wherein thegasket is operative to be engaged with the plurality of prongs of thepower connector of the appliance while the power connector is connectedto an electrical outlet, and wherein converting power includesgenerating DC power from the electric current, the DC power provided todrive at least the sensor and the transmitter.
 27. The method of claim22 wherein the one or more transmitted signals include informationindicative of a power consumption of the appliance, and wherein the oneor more signals are transmitted periodically to the receiving devicethat includes a remote server.
 28. A sensing apparatus for an applianceconnector, the sensing apparatus comprising: at least one circuit boardincluding one or more openings operative to receive a correspondingnumber of prongs of the appliance connector; at least one sensor coupledto the circuit board and operative to sense at least one characteristicof an environment; a transmitter coupled to the circuit board andoperative to transmit one or more signals derived from the at least onesensed characteristic, wherein the transmitted signals are capable ofbeing received by a receiving device; and a power circuit coupled to thecircuit board and operative to provide power to the at least one sensorand to the transmitter, wherein the power circuit is operative toreceive electric current from at least one of the prongs of theappliance connector to drive the transmitter and the at least onesensor.
 29. The sensing apparatus of claim 28 further comprising agasket housing separate from and physically engaged with a housing ofthe appliance connector, wherein the gasket housing houses thetransmitter and the power circuit, and wherein the gasket housingincluding a plurality of openings operative to receive a plurality ofprongs of the appliance connector.
 30. The sensing apparatus of claim 28further comprising at least one circuit board included within a housingof the appliance connector, and wherein the transmitter and powercircuit are coupled to the at least one circuit board and are housedwithin the housing of the appliance connector.
 31. The sensing apparatusof claim 28 wherein the at least one sensor senses at least onecharacteristic of the electric current flowing through the at least oneprong, and wherein the one or more transmitted signals includeinformation indicative of a power consumption of the appliance.
 32. Thesensing apparatus of claim 28 wherein the sensor measures an intensityof a magnetic field generated by the electric current passing throughthe at least one prong of the appliance connector.
 33. The sensingapparatus of claim 28 wherein the power circuit is coupled to the atleast one prong of the appliance connector by a conductive contact or bya capacitive coupling.
 34. The sensing apparatus of claim 29 wherein thegasket housing is operative to be engaged with the plurality of prongsof the appliance connector while the appliance connector is connected toan electrical outlet, and wherein the power circuit generates DC powerfrom the electric current flowing through the at least one prong, the DCpower provided to drive at least the sensor and the transmitter.
 35. Thesensing apparatus of claim 28 wherein the one or more transmittedsignals include information indicative of a power consumption of theappliance, and wherein the one or more signals are transmittedperiodically to the receiving device that includes a remote server. 36.The sensing apparatus of claim 28 further comprising at least oneprocessor coupled to the at least one sensor and to the transmitter, andwherein the transmitter transmits the one or more signals via wirelesscommunication.
 37. The sensing apparatus of claim 28 wherein a housinghouses the power circuitry, and wherein the at least one sensor isincluded in a removable sensor module physically distinct from thehousing, wherein the sensor module is operative to be connected to thehousing by one or more connectors provided on the housing.
 38. Thesensing apparatus of claim 28 wherein a housing houses the powercircuitry, the at least one sensor, and the transmitter, wherein the atleast one sensor and the power circuit are integrated on the circuitboard that is a single flex board provided between a top cover of thehousing and a bottom cover of the housing, and wherein the sensingapparatus further comprises at least one ferrite ring that is coupled tothe flex board.
 39. A system comprising: a sensing apparatus coupled toan appliance connector of an appliance, the appliance connector beingcoupled to a power supply, wherein the sensing apparatus includes: atleast one circuit board including one or more openings operative toreceive a corresponding number of prongs of the appliance connector; atleast one sensor coupled to the circuit board and operative to sense atleast one characteristic of an environment; a transmitter coupled to thecircuit board and operative to transmit one or more signals derived fromthe at least one sensed characteristic; and a power circuit coupled tothe circuit board and operative to provide power to the at least onesensor and to the transmitter, wherein the power circuit is operative toreceive electric current from at least one of the prongs of theappliance connector to drive the transmitter and the at least onesensor; and a receiving device located remotely from the sensingapparatus and operative to receive the one or more signals from thetransmitter, wherein the receiving device is operative to provide theone or more signals for use as data describing the at least one sensedenvironmental characteristic.